The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) has appointed Lee Janghwan, founder of Urban Operations, as the Artistic Director of the Korean Pavilion for the 20th International Architecture Exhibition of the 2027 Venice Biennale.
 
Lee Janghwan’s practice engages broadly with the fields of urbanism, culture, and architecture. He previously worked as an architect at OMA, where he participated in the design of the Qatar National Library and contributed to numerous projects across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
 
He also co-runs the research group Korean Midsize Cities with Lee Sanghyun. The group focuses on observing transformations beyond major metropolitan regions and exploring the latent possibilities of small and mid-sized cities.

The exhibition proposal, tentatively titled 《Disappearing Cities, Accumulating Architecture》, examines Korea’s phenomenon of “hyper-shrinkage” within the broader global context of population decline and aging societies.
 
Focusing in particular on the urban and architectural transformations occurring in Korea’s small and mid-sized regional cities, the project seeks to reinterpret these changes not merely as signs of local decline or regional particularity, but as a typology of progressive adaptation that emerges through the abandonment of growth-oriented paradigms and the acceptance of urban contraction.
 
The exhibition will be structured around two main components: research on the present conditions of Korea’s small and mid-sized cities, and proposals for new architectural and urban models.
 
Paying close attention to the “abandoned voids” commonly found in depopulating regional cities, as well as the temporary materials and additions attached to aging buildings and houses, the exhibition explores these phenomena not as isolated local conditions but as indicators of a trajectory that many parts of the world may encounter in the near future. In doing so, it investigates the possibilities embedded within these emerging urban realities.
 
The exhibition team will include architect and educator Bae Yoon Kyung, who will participate as both artist and co-curator; Lee Kyo Suk, Associate Director at MVRDV; and Jaehyup Ko, Co-Founder of Mission Object.

Founded in 1895, the Venice Biennale is the world's oldest and one of its most influential international cultural events, alternating between art and architecture exhibitions every two years.
 
On November 26 last year, the La Biennale di Venezia, led by President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, appointed Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, co-founders of Amateur Architecture Studio, as the curators of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition.
 
The 20th International Architecture Exhibition will take place over approximately six months, from May 8 to November 21, 2027, at venues including the Giardini della Biennale and the Arsenale in Venice, Italy.

References

• 한국문화예술위원회 보도자료 (Arts Council Korea Press Release)